Ans. An epic is a long narrative poem, on a grand style and scale, about the deeds of warriors and heroes. It is a heroic story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history. Epics are often of national significance in the sense that they embody the history and aspirations of a nation in a lofty or grandiose manner.

Basically, there are two types of epic: a) primary also as known as oral or primitive; b) secondary also known as literary. The first belongs to the oral tradition and is thus composed orally and meant for recitation. The second one is written down at its initial stage. For example, Iliad, Odyssey, Beowulf may be categorised as the primary epics. In the category of secondary epic we may put Virgil’s Aenied, Song of Roland, and Milton’s Paradise Lost etc. Iliad and Odyssey (1000 BC) are the Homeric epics whose heroes are Achilles and Odysseus respectively. The Iliad recounts the story of the wars between the Greeks and the Trojans.

Ans. An epic is a long narrative poem, on a grand style and scale, about the deeds of warriors and heroes. It is a heroic story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history. Epics are often of national significance in the sense that they embody the history and aspirations of a nation in a lofty or grandiose manner.

The Mahabharata, the longest Sanskrit epic, is a story of two sets of paternal first cousin who became the bitter rivals with each other. The epic revolves around the struggle for the throne of Hastinapura. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The Kauravas were collectively the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas were the five sons of Pandu. The five brothers named Yudhistira(eldest son), Arjuna,Bhima , Nakula and Sahadeva were always obedient and dutiful. Draupadi was the common wife of the five Pandavas. The Kauravas behaved viciously and brutally towards the Pandavas in many ways. Their malice displayed itself when they took advantage of the eldest Pandava, Yudhistira in a game of dice.

Ans. If there had been no game of dice there would have been no humiliation of the Pandavas and molestation of Draupadi. Had these not taken place, the provocation for all the vows of bringing destruction upon the Kauravs and their allies would have been lost. Draupadi’s violent curses and Bhim’s vows of revenge are rooted in this

episode. Within the larger context of the epic there is a large number of characters who have to fulfil their destiny and it is the Mahabharata war, which will provide the opportunity.

The question that often comes to our mind is why does the game of dice have such a crucial role in the Mahabharata? The game of dice is about Yudhishthira, Duryodhana, Sakuni and the loss of the kingdom, the brothers, and the beloved wife. The game of dice is a dramatic point in The Mahabharata where Duryodhana and Sakuni trick Yudhishthira and the Pandavas into losing all thei, wealth and possessions, including themselves and their wife Draupadi.

Dicing is a part of the religious and cultural history of India. Gambling has two significances in religion. It is usually discouraged or prohibited. In hinduism gamblers are associated with theives, assassins and other dpravedcharacters.they are dangerous characters utterly devoid of truth. Shiva and Parvati play dice and dicing is also a part of Deepawali, the beginning of the financial year in Hindu society. Dhritharashtra himself knows the perils of dicing. Dicing involves uncertainty, chance, and the vagaries of fortune.the game of dice is representative of the challenges that a king must endure during his reign.

Ans. Gambling is an in..noral action. It favours the evils. The gamblers even go to the extent of resorting to unfair means to win the game anyhow. The ultimate result of the game of dice led the bloody battle between the Pandavas and the Kouravas. The war of Kurukshetra fought between them brings about the ultimate downfall of the Kouravas. The triumph of the Pandavas symbolizes the winning of the virtuous over the vicious.

The pivotal movement in The Mahabharata is the game of dice. Lila can be a game or heatrical performance. Of the religious and cultural history of India. The game of dice cannot substitute the actual confrontation of war. The most notorious gamblers have been assembled by Dhritarashtra but Yudhishthira feels compelled to accept the proposal of the game.

Q. 5. What is the role of Lord Krishna in the Game of Dice in relation to the plot of The Mahabharata?

Ans. Quite strangely, Krishna is absent during the game of dice except of intervene on Draupadi’s behalf. Although he has been an active participant up to that time. He stays for a while after the marriage of Draupadi to the Pandavas. He is present at the division of the kingdom and helps Arjuna clear up the forest tracts. He asks Maya to build the Pandavas a magnificent hall for the Pandavas. He aids Arjuna in abducting his own sister Saubhadra, stays for the marriage and een for their marriage and even for the birth of their son Abhimanyu. He advises Yudhishthira on the Rajasuya and sees to its successful completion through killing of Jarasandha and Sisupala. He then has to rush to because he has been attacked by Salva enraged by his brother Sisupala’s dealth Hence, the overt reason for his absence from the dice game. However, as Alf Hiltebeitel has pointed out, Krishna’s absence is necessary because otherwise the outcome would have been different 10. Even if he had been present at Dwarka when the game was announced at Hastinapur he says, he would have come to Hastinapur to prevent it. As Narayana, or the Divine perhaps he can only be a witness to the unfolding of events as individuals exercise their freedom of choice and the universal order arranges and rearranges itself accordingly. The canvas of the dice game is the test of a king’s ability to uphold dharma in the face of all unforeseen eventualities is Yudhishthira’s field of action. However, he cannot allow Draupadi to suffer the final humiliation because she is his soulmate, sakhi, another aspect of himself, another Krsna and his consort Sri to his Vishnu or Narayana. Once, dharma is lost it has to be re-established and hence the war in which Krishn. plays an active role of inspiring and motivating without actually taking up arms.

Q. 1. Who is Vyasa?

Ans. Vyasa was the writer of The Mahabharata. He is believed to have lived on the banks of the Ganges, in a place of present-day Uttarakhand.

Ans. Maya, Asura built Indrapastha. It was built in the place where Khandava forest stood. The Khandav.. forest was burnt by Arjuna in order to found the capital of the Pandavas.

Q. 3. What do you know of the Sava Parva?

Ans. Sabha Parva is known in English as the Book of the assembly hall’. It is the second of the eighteen books of the Mahabharata. Sabha Parva begins with the description of the palace and assembley hall sava built by Maya at Indrapastha.

Q.4. What were staked in the game of dice? 

Ans. During the dicing, Yudhishthira stakes his wealth, jewelery, Indrapastha, and the belongings of his brothers one by one and loses them one by one.

 Q.5. “I am a shrewd gambler”. Who is the speaker? Write a note on the role of this speaker in The Mahabharata.

Ans. Shakuni is the speaker here. He is the cheating gambler and villain of the Mahabharata. He is one of the four wicked characters of the epic with others that include Dyryodhana, Dushyansana and Karna. The two episodes of the game of

dice and the sequel of dice centre around Shakuni. Shakuni proudly asserts: “I am skillful at dice. There is none equal to me in this respect on earth, no not even in the three worlds”. Shakuni teaches us that the whole idea of revenge can actually consume an entire civilization, a whole order of things as we see at the end of The Mahabharata.

Q. 6. What does the Sabhaparva deal with in The Mahabharata?

Ans. The sabhaparva deals mainly with the performance of the rajasurya sacrifice by Yudhisthira, the eldest of the Pandava princes. The game of dice and its sequel are the chief episode of the sabhaparvamaeuvered by the wily Duryodhana, the eldest of the kauravas and its tragic consequences for the former.

Q. 7. What offends Duryodhana at Yudhishthira’s place at Indraprastha? 

Ans. The Mahabharata is one of the famous Indian epics written by Vyasa.In the Assembly Hall, Duryodhana became jealous of the happiness as well as countless treasure of the Pandavas. The submission of many kings to them, the favour they got from the entire world and these made him pale and jealousy. Remembering the affluence and richness of king Yudhisthira, he got distracted and absentminded to such an extent that he forgot to respond to Shakuni when the latter addressed him. In the words of Duryodhana himself, the opulence of the Pandavas filled him with rancour and burning day and night he was “drying up like the. small pool in hot season”. Moreover, he was subjected to multiple tricks because of the intricate interior designs of the hall.

Ans. In the Indian classical epic, The Mahabharata, Vidura was ‘MahaMantri’ of the kingdom of Hastinapura. He was an honest, intelligent and meritorious person. He was in the side of ‘egality. Vidura can imagine the ultimate result of the game of dicing. He knew that the treachery of Shakuni would bring a disaster of Pandavas and Kouravas as well for long term. As a well-wisher, Vidura warned Dhritharashtra and his sons not to play the game of destruction.

Q. 9. What is Yudhisthira’s final stake and whom does he lose? 

Ans. In the Indian classical epic The Mahabharata by Vyasa, Yudhisthira had lost everything including all his wealth, his brothers and even himself also in the game of dice. In his last stake, being pressurized by Shakuni, Yudhisthira was compelled to stake Draupadi, common wife of the five Pandavas. Yudhisthira had lost all his wealth along with his brothers, himself and finally

their virtuous wife Draupadi by staking.

Ans. In the game of dicing, when Yudhisthira took Draupadi as his last stake, there was an audible gasp from the audience. The voices of the elders were roused. The entire hall shook itself. Bhisma, Drona and the others were bothered by their conscience for being incapable of doing anything to prevent such injustice to be happen.

Ans. Duryodhana follows the advice of his uncle, the cunning Sakuni, an infamous dice player, and invites Yudhistira to a game of dice. They know well that gambling is Yudhistira’s one weakness. Vidura is sent to invite the Pandavas to visit Hastinapura and play a dice game there.

Ans. As per Mahabharata, Vidura tried to stop the dice game and warned Yudhisthira about the foul play ahead. Vidura and Vikarna also supported Draupadi and pointed out Duryadhan ill-treating her was morally wrong. Vidura was truly an embodiment of Dharma.

Ans. Sakuni is the speaker here. He suggests Duryodhana a means Yudhisthira himself can be defeated. Sakuni says that the Kaunteya or Yudhisthira loves to gamble but does not know how to play. Sakuni says that if Yudhisthira is challenged, he will not be able to resist. Sakuni is sure to defeat Yudhisthira and win all his wealth by the game of Dice.

Ans. Duryodhana says “his to his father Dhritharashtra when the latter tells him about his Royal luxury and asks him not pine about anything. Duryodhana clearly says that his pleasures no longer satisfy him, now that he has seen the radiant fortune of Yudhisthira Kaunteya’s, which causes him pallor.

Ans. Dhritharashtra is the speaker here. When Duryodhana pleads Dhritharashtra to invite the Pandavas to the game of Dice, Dhritharashtra says that he can take a decision only after consulting his Steward Vidura.

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